Thanksgiving Rice Krispies Treats are a delicious, adorable last-minute holiday dessert. Pumpkin pie spice adds a special touch to this chewy treat.

Thanksgiving Rice Krispies treats colored and shaped to resemble a pumpkin pie, on a white plate on a dark surface.

When it comes to Thanksgiving, I like to keep dinner very traditional with maple bourbon glazed turkey, mashed potatoes with homemade gravy, and my husband’s grandma’s old fashioned dressing.

But when it comes to dessert, all bets are off the table. Truth be told, I’m not even really that big of a fan of most pies.

So I’ll often incorporate fall flavors into a different type of dessert like a cranberry tart pie or pumpkin creme brulee. If I’m really feeling ambitious, even an apple rose tart.

This year, I’ve had the biggest craving for Rice Krispies treats. Ever since my daughter got one of those packaged ones trick-or-treating, I’ve been wanting the real, homemade thing!

Since I was craving them anyway, I decided to try my hand at a batch of Thanksgiving Rice Krispies treats. These fun pumpkin-spiced goodies even resemble a pie!

Ingredients needed for pumpkin spice Rice Krispies treats, including cereal, marshmallows, food coloring, extract and butter, laid out on a light surface.

What you’ll need for Thanksgiving Rice Krispies treats:

  • Rice Krispies – honestly, get the name brand ones! I’ve tried some “healthier” organic varieties, and they’re just not as good in Rice Krispies treats, trust me.
  • marshmallows – the classic binder for a good Rice Krispies treat.
  • butter – unsalted butter helps melt the marshmallows to create the binder.
  • pumpkin pie spice – a few teaspoons of this go a long way to giving these fall Rice Krispies treats some great autumn flavor. I love it in Thanksgiving fruit salad, too.
  • maple extract – I love the way maple flavoring pairs with pumpkin pie spice, but I discuss an alternative for these Thanksgiving Rice Krispies treats below.
  • food coloring – I had orange food coloring left over from Halloween dirt cups, which I used to make the center of this pumpkin spice Rice Krispies treats “pie” orange. If you don’t have orange, you can use a combination of red and yellow food coloring.
A ring of rice cereal dessert pressed into the outside edge of a round cake pan.

Make the “crust” for the pumpkin spice Rice Krispies treats:

In order to make these Thanksgiving Rice Krispies treats look like a pumpkin pie, we’ll be making two smaller batches, one at a time.

First, make the “crust” by melting butter and marshmallows on the stove. Mix in the maple extract, and then stir in the Rice Krispies until everything is well combined.

This batch, we will NOT be using food coloring on. It will stay light brown to resemble the crust of the “pie.”

Press this batch against the sides of a 9-inch cake pan, about one inch thick (see photo above). Make sure to leave the middle of the pan empty for the “filling.”

A round cake pan filled with cereal dessert, the center of which has been dyed orange to resemble a pumpkin pie.

Make the “filling” for the Thanksgiving Rice Krispies treats:

Now, we’ll be making another, slightly larger batch of Rice Krispies treats. Instead of maple extract, this time we’ll be stirring in some pumpkin pie spice. We’re also going to add food coloring to make it orange.

Pour this batch of pumpkin spice Rice Krispies treats into the center of the cake pan and press it down until it’s flat, and presses right up against the “pie crust” (see photo above).

A slice of orange Thanksgiving Rice Krispies treats, shaped like a pie, on a white plate with an orange and white napkin.

Do I have to use maple extract?

Personally, I love the flavor of maple when paired with pumpkin pie spices. Adding actual maple syrup would add too much liquid to this recipe and make the Thanksgiving Rice Krispies treats too runny, so I’m using maple extract to add that flavor.

If you buy maple extract, I think you’ll be surprised how versatile it can be. It even adds an extra oomph to maple syrup banana bread.

But, if you don’t think you’ll use it much and don’t want to buy it for these pumpkin spice Rice Krispies treats, that’s totally understandable. Just use vanilla extract instead!

Thanksgiving Rice Krispies treats, shaped and cut into pie "slices," topped with marshmallows, on a round white plate.

A quick tip for pressing fall Rice Krispies treats into the pan:

When pressing the pumpkin pie Rice Krispies treats mixtures into the cake pan, spray a piece of parchment paper with cooking spray and use the parchment paper to press.

This prevents the mixture from sticking to your hands.

Thanksgiving Rice Krispies treats, shaped and cut into pie "slices," topped with marshmallows, on a round white plate.

How to serve pumpkin pie Rice Krispies treats:

Cut your treat into 8 slices, just like a pie.

Feel free to add a squirt of whipped cream onto each slice of “pie”! Add this right before serving.

Or, for a garnish that you can add to these Thanksgiving Rice Krispies treats in advance, use mini marshmallows to resemble the whipped cream.

Thanksgiving Rice Krispies treats colored and shaped to resemble a pumpkin pie, on a white plate on a dark surface.

Thanksgiving Rice Krispies Treats

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Thanksgiving Rice Krispies Treats are a delicious, adorable last-minute holiday dessert. Pumpkin pie spice adds a special touch to this chewy treat.

Ingredients

For the "Crust":

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 18 marshmallows
  • 1 teaspoon maple extract
  • 3 cups Rice Krispies cereal

For the "Pie Filling":

  • 2-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 25 marshmallows
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 8 drops orange food coloring, or 5 drops yellow plus 3 drops red
  • 4 cups Rice Krispies cereal

For Garnish:

  • 24 mini marshmallows (optional)

Instructions

  1. Make the "Crust": Spray bottom and sides of 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray. In medium saucepot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add marshmallows and maple extract and stir until fully combined and smooth.
  2. Remove from heat. Add Rice Krispies and stir until cereal is fully coated in marshmallow mixture.
  3. Pour the mixture into the cake pan, and press the mixture against sides of pan to form the "crust" of the pie (about one inch thick). Leave the middle of the pan empty for the "filling."
  4. Make the "Pie Filling": In clean medium saucepot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until fully combined and smooth. Add pumpkin pie spice and food coloring and stir until fully incorporated.
  5. Remove from heat. Add Rice Krispies and stir until cereal is fully coated in marshmallow mixture.
  6. Pour filling into center of cake pan, and press until flattened and completely filling in the inside of the pan up to the "crust."
  7. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes to set before cutting into 8 slices, like a pie. Garnish each slice with 3 mini marshmallows to resemble whipped cream.

Notes

Home Chef Tip: When pressing the Rice Krispies mixtures into the cake pan, spray a piece of parchment paper with cooking spray and press using the parchment paper. This prevents the mixture from sticking to your hands.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 268Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 160mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 0gSugar: 25gProtein: 2g

This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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